


The Mirror Cracked.

by Gina Callen (CALLEN37)



Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-05-14 07:35:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5735182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CALLEN37/pseuds/Gina%20Callen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Breath on a Mirror. Secrets that were kept from Tony come back to haunt him. A Gibbs/Tony father son fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"You have got to be kidding me!"

Tony slammed in the front door of his father's house, dropping his rucksack on the floor, he stormed down the stairs of the basement as Gibbs stood there sanding his latest boat.

He raised an eyebrow, turned poured his son a glass of bourbon and waited.

"You asked her to join us?" Tony took the drink and sat on the bottom step.

"I was impressed with how she handled the case." Gibbs replied with a shrug, "We've been a two man team since Blackadder left, I thought you'd appreciate the help."

"Humph." Tony sipped his drink and glared at him.

"Come on Tony, Kate helped us, and the Secret Service sacked her." Gibbs argued.

Tony smirked at him, "You like her?" He said.

"She's got the makings of a good agent." Gibbs agreed.

"So…" Tony finished off his drink and put the glass down. "You're not seeing Vivianne tonight?"

Gibbs shook his head, "Nope. Not tonight, figured I'd be needed here." He stood up and walked towards the stairs, "Steak?" He asked.

Tony nodded and followed him upstairs, "You staying tonight?" Gibbs asked.

Again Tony nodded, "My water heater's not working again and my back aches from where Fornell had my ass tossed on the beltway."

Gibbs shook his head, "You need to move." He sighed as he took two steaks out of the fridge and walked towards the fire.

"Maybe, but the rent is cheap and it's close to work. I have a boss who's a bear if I'm late."

Gibbs chuckled, "I could have left you in Baltimore."

For a second a dark look crossed his face, "You wouldn't have though?"

"It was either you joined me or I shot Danny."

Tony laughed, "I would have been right behind you." He said remembering his dirty ex partner.

Gibbs threw the steak on the fire, " _SO_ …" He let the word linger for a moment, "Morrow wants us to be a three man team. What do you think about Kate joining?"

"Honestly, Dad, I think she'll be good for the team, but… we haven't mentioned about 'Our' situation, apart from Morrow no-one else knows. Didn't you say she was a profiler, what if she figures it out?"

Gibbs laughed, "You ashamed of me son?"

Tony looked abashed for a moment, "No, of course not. But Abby will rip you a new one if she finds out you're my dad and Ducky…" Tony smirked and launched into an imitation of the elderly Scotsman, "Well, Jethro…. This news reminds me of a time when..."

"Ok, okay." Gibbs laughed. "Let's just deal with that if and when it arises. Kate's joining us on Monday." He flipped Tony's steak onto a plate and handed it to him, "Eat your food, I'll come with you tomorrow and we'll fix that damn heater again."

* * *

Maria Macaluso held her son's hand. He was now eighteen years old and had been the light of his mother's life all her life.

"It's not fair mama." Tonio said as he looked at her fading in her hospital bed.

Maria smiled the light waning in her eyes.

"Tonio, it is as the good Lord wills it, I will soon be reunited with your father. I know he would have been as proud of you as I am now. You have been a good son."

Tonio looked away for a moment.

"Your Uncle Marco will be there for you if you need anything."

"I need you mama, please, don't leave me." He begged his green eyes filling with tears.

"It is beyond my power to stay my son, be good for your Grandfathers and for your Uncle Marco. Promise me." She said.

Tonio promised and dropped his head to his chest as his mother closed her eyes for one final time.

He sat there for what seemed like an age, unwilling to leave her until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Tonio, you need to leave." Marco said as he looked down at the boy.

He stood up and allowed his uncle to lead him away and let the nurses in to do their job.

"Your Grandfather wants to see you Tonio."

The boy stopped for a moment, "He wants to see me?" he asked surprised. He knew his grandfather loved him, he saw him a few times a year, but he had never spent a lot of time with any of his family apart from his mother and his Uncle Marco. Since moving to Peoria as a child, he had been kept away from the main members of his family. He was just about to start college when his mother got sick. His grandfather had paid for the hospital bills, but he had used most of his savings to help with the other things his mother had needed during her stay. He still had enough saved for his first year at college and was excited about his place at GW Business school. But now he thought maybe it was in doubt.

Walking up to the large Mansion the Macaluso family owned, he gulped as he nodded to the man guarding the door.

The man moved his gun as he looked at the boy, but then noticed Marco behind him.

"Afternoon Sir, The Don is in and will see you as soon as you arrive."

Marco walked past him and guided Tonio inside.

"It's been a long time hasn't it?" He said as the boy walked inside.

Tonio nodded, "I think I was six last time mother and I came here. Grandfather has only been to see me at mother's since then."

Marco knocked on the door and waited as a voice called him in.

"Tonio, son… come in…"

He opened the door and was enveloped in the arms of the older man, "I am sorry for your loss; My Maria was a ray of light." He looked sadder than Tonio remembered but then the man had lost his daughter.

"She would have wanted you there." Tonio said.

Mike Macaluso nodded, "I know, I know, but it is not easy for me. My heart breaks for you son."

"Thank you, Grandfather." Tonio said.

"You will be coming to stay here now. I talked to your dear mother before she passed. You do not need to go to College, but I have need of you here."

"Here? But Grandfather I was going to study business, surely I would be of more help if…"

"Tonio, your father was a good man, he helped his family until he died and your mother wanted you to follow in his footsteps. Your father worked for Don DiNozzo and it would be an insult to his memory and a slight on the family if you didn't follow in his footsteps."

"You want me to work for Don DiNozzo?" he asked, surprised, he didn't have much contact with his paternal grandfather.

"No, I want you to work for me. Marco will train you up and give you all you need to one day take my place as the head of the family. Maria was my only child, my heir. Now it falls to you to take your place as a member of the Macaluso family."

"But I am a DiNozzo, sir."

"Only by birth, you are a Macaluso by blood. Maybe you will heal the rift that has developed between our families."

Tonio looked at the photo of his father and mother, both teenagers at their wedding on his grandfather's desk.

He sighed as he let all thoughts of a career in business pass him by. "I could study online, and still work for you. After all the family is a business. I will do all I can to make you proud."

Mike pulled the boy into a hug, "I hope so." He smiled.

Phase one of his plan to get his revenge on the DiNozzo's for the pain his daughter had suffered was underway.

He had found out five years ago that Tonio's father wasn't dead as his daughter had been told. Then he had found out about the money the DiNozzo's had swindled from his Son in law and his daughter. Finding out that Tony DiNozzo was a policeman was a shock. He had just been about to tell him about his daughter being alive when the news had come through and Tony had disappeared and he himself had been arrested using evidence Detective DiNozzo had gathered.

He had done five years in jail until his lawyer had been able to get him out. He had sequestered Maria with Marco and they had helped raise the boy away from the prying eyes of the FBI. Tonio was to the FBI an unknown and until it was time he would stay that way.

* * *

Tony sat up in bed with a scream, within moments Gibbs was in his room.

"You ok son?" he asked.

Tony nodded, wiping his eyes. He'd had that dream a lot since he'd come back from Italy, it had taken years for him to talk to his dad about Maria and what had happened while he was away.

He had never forgiven Fornell for bringing it up in the Commandant's office at Remington. The Commandant, himself had never told anyone about the fact that he had a widowed cadet. But Tony had vowed not to mention it or Maria ever.

But one day, after Tony had come home from Remington for Summer vacation, Gibbs had been awoken by his son's screams.

"MARIA!" The scream had been heart wrenching and Gibbs had shot out of bed and raced down the hallway.

Tony sat upright, tears streaming down his face, his hands gripping tightly to the bed sheets.

Gibbs knelt down by his side and had pulled his son into his arms, slowly Tony had sobbed his heart out finally grieving for his wife and child, telling Gibbs all about her and how much he had loved her.

Years later when Tony had gotten engaged to Wendy, he had hoped that he was finally able to move on. However, finding out that his partner, Danny, had been sleeping with her just before the wedding had hurt, but what had clinched it was Tony, in his sleep calling for another woman. Wendy had called off the wedding and Tony and Gibbs had taken the honeymoon as a vacation. Gibbs helping his son heal a little bit more. Over time the nightmares had phased out and this one had caught Gibbs by surprise.

"Tony?"

Tony wiped his eyes as Gibbs strode over to wrap him in the hug he so desperately needed, "I don't know why I dreamed of it again." He shuddered, "I think it was being in the body bag that did it."

"I'm sorry son." Gibbs said.

Tony gave a short barking laugh, "If Abby could hear you now." He remarked.

"Apologizing doesn't count with family."

Tony smiled, "It's strange, I really dreamt of her Dad, not as I remembered her, but older. You remember when I was in Peoria, and they put me on the Macaluso case?"

Gibbs nodded with a grimace, "I always thought you were crazy to accept that assignment."

"I needed to, I needed closure and Mike had no idea who I was till my cover was blown. One day I was sure I saw her, with a kid about six years old, the same age our child would have been. That was the same day my cover was blown and I decided to leave and take the job in Baltimore. I just couldn't… you know dad. I thought I was seeing things, still think I was."

"I'll ask again, son, do you think you need counselling?"

Tony shook his head, "I can't talk about it, you know that." He shuddered as he had flashbacks of his childhood and memories of his father screaming at him to not ever talk about the family.

"Hey, it's ok son, you know I'll never push you and if you ever need to talk about it I'll be here." Gibbs said. He sat further down the bed as Tony lay back down.

"I know dad." He said as he closed his eyes again. Gibbs got up and walked to the door shutting off the light, "And thanks." Tony added as he shut the door.

Gibbs walked back to his room with a sour look on his face, he hated that in part he had been responsible for the nightmare his son had just suffered. It hadn't even crossed his mind at the time, but he was comforted by the fact that Tony knew he was there and safe. But the confession that he had thought he had seen Maria sat in his gut. He shook it off and headed back to be determined to get a little bit of sleep before the next day started.


	2. Chapter 2

Kate fitted in well with the team, both Tony and Gibbs were relieved that she took to heart the persona that Tony showed and didn't dig deeper for fear of what she would find.

Sometimes it made Tony sad that she hadn't bothered to look deeper, but in other ways he was grateful.

Then came Ari and Kate died.

Tony was devastated, he had been so close, if only he had looked harder he could have saved her. He had seen his dad fall apart as he took it upon himself to help him and help Tim McGee, the new probie on the team.

For a moment Tony had panicked when Gibbs had walked into the bullpen asking them if they wanted a drink. Gibbs had given his son the same look he usually reserved for home. The one that screamed fatherly caring.

Tim had been shocked, Gibbs was being nice. Tony immediately covered for him saying he didn't want nice, he wanted the growley, grouchy boss they all knew and loved. This wasn't Gibbs.

That night Tony had watched as Gibbs sat at his desk. He was loathed to leave him and go home as ordered. He had made sure that Tim had taken Abby home to make sure they were both safe and he stood in the bullpen watching as Gibbs sat looking broken at Kate's desk.

"Go home, Tony." Gibbs said not looking at him.

"Not without you dad, no one goes home alone tonight." Tony replied quietly.

Gibbs gave a halfhearted smile at his son. "I will be tonight, you need to stay with Tim and Abby."

"They'll be fine." Tony argued, "I could go and watch that Israeli handler of Ari's. Maybe that'll give us a lead."

Gibbs shook his head, "Not tonight."

"But…"

Gibbs held his hand up. "Go home son, there's a pizza in your freezer, take it out warm it up and watch a movie."

"Come with me?"

Gibbs shook his head. "I'll be fine Tony."

"You'll call me, won't you?"

It was late, there was no one in the building, but Director Morrow, who was watching the scene in the bullpen intently, unnoticed by either man.

Gibbs got up and pulled Tony into a hug, "Go home son." He ordered.

Shooting a worried look at Gibbs, Tony grabbed his backpack and headed for the elevator as Morrow walked down the stairs to join him in the bullpen.

"You sure about this Gibbs?" He asked.

Gibbs nodded, "Pretty much, I can't put them in danger, Ari is after me, we both know it. Tonight it finishes."

Tom nodded, although Gibbs didn't know it yet a lot of things were ending tonight.

"Tom?" Gibbs said, turning to the director.

"Jethro?" Tom Morrow replied in surprise at the man's use of his first name.

"If… If it doesn't work out, if… Make sure Tony doesn't go off the rails in revenge, tell him… Tell him it wasn't his fault, don't let him blame himself."

"You sent him home, Jethro, he know's it isn't his fault." Tom tried to reassure the man.

Gibbs smiled sadly, "You don't know my son."

"Be careful Jethro." Tom said and left the other man to his task.

* * *

Tonio stood with Marco looking over the body of a man. Tonio didn't know his name, he didn't need to. The word had gone out that this man was a rat in the family and Tonio had been proud when Marco had asked him to accompany him on the task to hunt him down.

"You should be proud Antonio, you have helped keep the family safe. I will tell The Don when we get back."

Tonio smiled. He loved his Grandfather, but he as always, felt a little bit like an outsider.

When he had first gone to live and work with his grandfather, he had expected to be more a part of his inner circle. He had learned quickly that he would not be afforded that honor just by birth alone. After all, he wasn't a full blood Macaluso. He was a DiNozzo. He had gone to live in one of the properties the family owned.

He was under tighter controls than the others, this he knew. He had no idea why, although Marco had told him it was for his own safety. Tonio hadn't wanted much, hell he'd never had much growing up. His mother had worked, not wanting to ask her father for anything, although he suspected that he had helped her out once or twice. But now he wanted to have a bank account, his own money. But still he was denied. He had to ask Marco for money and wasn't allowed to own anything.

He had questioned it one evening.

"But Uncle Marco, Why can I not get a checking account, I mean, even my drivers license is in someone else's name?" He had moaned.

"This territory is controlled by the Macaluso's. You get pulled by the cops and we'll never see you again. You get pulled by a punk trying to make his name and they find out you're a DiNozzo, same result." Marco said noncommittally as he handed the kid a drink. "We just want what's best for you."

Tonio sighed, "I feel like Grandfather is ashamed of me sometimes."

Marco walked up to the boy he had watched over his whole life. "Tonio, your grandfather loves you. But considering how your father died, and now your mother has gone do you blame him for trying to keep you safe?"

"I suppose not." Tonio moaned, "But I still feel like a child."

Marco gave a small laugh, "One day, you won't feel like a child, you will be a man, no matter what name you use Tonio, you are your parents' child and I know they both loved you very much."

Tonio looked away sadly, "My father never even met me."

Marco squared up to him, "Your father was my friend, it was just luck that your mother and I had left for town before him. We didn't even know he was coming, but when we saw the burned out shell of his car and his father grieving his loss we knew it would be safer for you if your mother was kept safely away from her enemies. Everything the Don has done was to keep you and your mother safe." Marco said.

Tonio felt, again, like a little boy.

"I know Uncle Marco, and I want to make him proud of me."

"Then make him proud, be the soldier I know you can be and protect the family. You may have a DiNozzo name, but how often do you see DiNozzo senior, how often has he inquired about you?" Marco scolded.

Tonio looked at the floor sadly, he remembered meeting DiNozzo senior once, when he was five. The man had looked at him like a piece of trash and walked off, leaving the boy hurt and upset. He had known that DiNozzo senior was rich and he could have helped him and his mother, but he hadn't. For a while, as a young teenager, he had hated the name DiNozzo, until his mother had pulled him aside and told him about how that was being disrespectful to the memory of his father. She had shown him a picture of his father and told him stories about the wonderful man she had loved with all her heart. Soon he realized that it was Senior he hated not his father. At least that was what he had told his mother, but a part of him hated his father for dying and leaving them alone in the world.

Tonio looked down at the dead body and turned to his uncle, "I think now I am a man, no?"

"You are well on your way to being a good soldier for the Macaluso family. I am very proud of you." Marco said.

Tonio bent down to move the body.

"No. Don't touch it, we have a clean up crew coming by to take care of it." Marco stopped as two lower rate enforcers came in the door.

Marco steered the boy out of the building and towards the car.

"You need to be gone now. Go back to the house ask Consolata to make you something to eat and get some rest."

Tonio smiled at the man, "I will Marco. You'll be along soon?"

Marco nodded, making a dismissing gesture with his hands, "Now go." he said, watching with a smile as the boy drove away. A smile which rapidly faded as the boy went out of sight.

Marco walked into the warehouse, "Boys." He said as he walked to the enforcers who were cleaning up the body for removal and disposal.

"Sir." They replied in unison.

"Make sure this body isn't found for a long time." He ordered.

The men nodded as they lifted him, his wallet fell out and Marco took a handkerchief from his pocket and opened it. "Damn." He cursed looking at the badge hidden inside.

"The guy was a Fed!"

He took the wallet and handed it to the older of the two enforcers, "Burn this, don't leave a trace." He ordered and with a scowl he turned and walked out.

* * *

Tony walked into the basement a few days later as the team were getting used to the new changes in the office.

"So…. Jenny, I mean Director Shepard?" He asked. As his father swept the empty space and looked at him.

"It was a long time ago, after Shannon and before Diane, it never went anywhere." He told his son.

"But there was something?" He pushed.

Gibbs glared at him and Tony smiled triumphantly. " _ **I knew it!**_ " he couldn't wait to tell Abby and collect on the office pool.

"Don't even think about it." Gibbs growled.

Tony sighed dramatically and walked over to help himself to a drink. "So… We're keeping Officer David then?" He asked. "I thought you were talking to the new lady Director?"

"She stays." Gibbs said flatly.

"Just like that?" Tony asked amazed. This woman had come out of nowhere, supposedly the handler for the man who had gone rogue and shot their teammate. She'd had files on them all, but luckily for them, Tony and Gibbs relationship hadn't been mentioned. "I mean she had files, she knew about Shannon and Kelly, but not us. I mean…" he trailed off.

"She has a lot to learn granted, but where else to learn, but from the best." Gibbs smirked.

"You're gonna teach her?" Tony asked.

Gibbs shook his head, "You are."

" _I AM!_ " Tony sat down shocked. " ** _Me?_** "

"I'm partnering her with you. You can teach her what she needs to learn. Don't blame her for what her brother did. She proved her worth."

"How?" Tony asked.

Gibbs shook his head, "Doesn't matter, it's between her and me. But she needs to learn that Mossad isn't the be all and end all of law enforcement. She needs the chance to be a person and not a tool, a means to an end. You think you can help?" He asked.

For a moment Tony considered saying no. Ok, so she was beautiful, but Kate had been his partner and her brother had killed her.

"Tony, everyone needs a chance to be the person they were born to be and not someone's tool, don't you think?" Gibbs said softly.

Tony looked away, ashamed. He knew what Gibbs was referring to. His relationship with his own father and family. Gibbs had saved him from that and although he wouldn't tell him why, he knew his dad knew that Ziva needed that chance too.

"Ok, I'll help her." He promised.

Gibbs nodded, "Now… You wanna tell me about this pool and why you bet on it?" he grinned as Tony shrank behind his glass wishing he were anywhere else but under the all knowing gaze of his dad.


	3. Chapter 3

Tonio stretched and yawned as he awoke, a girl lay by his side, Con… something, he couldn't remember her name, but she was pretty and she had been a bridesmaid at Marco's wedding yesterday.

She stirred and looked up at him, "Good morning Tonio." She said sweetly.

Tonio smiled, "Good morning Bella."

She giggled as she moved to get up, he rolled his eyes when she couldn't see, but moved to allow her to take the blanket with her to the bathroom.

He grabbed some boxers and got up, walking to the window of Marco's large townhouse.

The door knocked and Tonio turned, "Come in?" He called.

Marco walked in, "Good Morning, Have you seen Conchita, her mother is looking for her?"

Tonio cocked his thumb in the direction of the bathroom.

Marco rolled his eyes, "I thought you were seeing Lia?"

Tonio shook his head, "She was last month, I was with Luisa, but met…?" he stopped as he realized he didn't even know the name of the girl in his bathroom.

Marco rolled his eyes, "Conchita!" He sighed.

"Yeah, her. Yesterday, she's in the bathroom."

Marco shook his head, "One day one of these girls will catch you."

Tonio smiled, a thousand watt smiled that reminded Marco of his late friend. "Never, I'm clever, not stupid."

Marco patted him on the head, "You make sure you are Tonio." He warned. "Get her moving her mother needs her help in the kitchens."

Tonio nodded and knocked on the door to the bathroom passing on the message.

"Hey?" He asked Marco as the older man headed to the door, "Are you and Rosanna going on a honeymoon?"

Marco laughed, "No, we have business today, get dressed and meet me downstairs in twenty minutes."

Tonio looked horrified. "Twenty minutes?! I need longer than that to look this good."

Marco grabbed Tonio's pants and threw them at him, "Get moving."

Tonio laughed and took the bathroom as Conchita left it.

* * *

Tony sat on a bench in a jail cell. He knew he wasn't guilty of killing that girl and he had no idea why he was being framed. It had only been a month ago that he had been undercover with Ziva, staying in a posh hotel being one of a pair of married assassins. Now he was in a jail cell, charged with murder and he had no idea how he was going to get out of it.

Gibbs walked up and handed him a pizza through the bars. Tony tried to play it off, not wanting his dad to worry, but in his panic revealing more about his relationship with his mother than he had ever said.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow in understanding as Tony mentioned that he had been dressed in sailor suits till he was ten years old.

The cell was bugged.

Tony and Gibbs both knew that hadn't happened. Well, not until he was ten anyway.

Gibbs nodded once in understanding, allowing Tony to monologue hoping the person listening would get bored of listening to him.

Eventually, when he realized that Tony was starting to believe himself, he motioned for his son to come closer, and he head slapped him.

Tony grinned. "Thanks Boss!"

"We are going to get you out of this DiNozzo." Gibbs promised, winked at his son and left.

A man in the next cell looked at him dangerously, but didn't say anything and Tony sank down on his bunk to eat his sausage cheese and pepperoni pizza.

* * *

Later that evening, acquitted and tired Tony walked into his father's house.

"Hey Boss, Abby here?" He asked brightly as he stuck his head around the corner of the basement.

"You're safe kid, she's with Ziva and McGee. Something about a team dinner?"

Tony nodded sadly, this wasn't the first time Ziva had thrown one of those.

"Shouldn't you be there?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shook his head, "Had a date." He replied.

"Shouldn't you be there, then?" Gibbs pressed.

"I am." Tony smirked. "Could hardly tell them I was going to spend the evening with my dad now could I?"

Gibbs poured him a drink, "You ok?" He asked as he handed him the glass.

"I was worried." Tony admitted, "I mean all the evidence was against me, I was locked up in that cell and even the other guy in the cell across from me looked scared of me. I'm not like that dad, am I?"

"Of course not, what made you say something like that?" Gibbs asked shocked at the question.

"The guy in the other cell, I mean he never said two words to me. He wouldn't look at me directly but when he did, he looked scared of me."

Gibbs shrugged, "I have no idea son… Maybe…." He stopped as the front door opened.

"Anyone home?" Fornells voice came from the front door.

"He's got a nerve." Tony growled as Fornell got to the top of the stairs.

"Hey, Don't shoot the messenger DiNutso." Fornell said as he appeared. "I was just doing my job. Slacks… er Sacks, wanted to arrest you earlier."

"I bet he did." Tony growled.

"Something about you being as crooked as your old man." Tobias revealed.

Tony stood up and paced the basement floor. "I am nothing like him!" he snapped.

"I know this, but I could hardly tell Ron that without having to let him and my boss know how long I've known you. They sent me because your dad and I go way back and no one else wanted to tell him a member of his team was dirty."

" _I'm not dirty!_ "

"I know that." Tobias said, holding up his hands in surrender at the panicked look Tony was giving him and the angry one from his friend. "But I could hardly tell them I've known you since you were a kid and that my best friend is your adoptive dad now could I?"

Tony sank down on the padded armchair Gibbs had installed in the corner of the basement for his son a few years ago. "I suppose not… Thanks Toby." He sighed with a small grin as Tobias rolled his eyes at the nickname Tony had been calling him for years.

"Maybe if you were a little more serious and hadn't hammed it up in interrogation with Sacks, he wouldn't have gotten so mad at you."

Tony smirked, "Why mess with perfection!"

Both Jethro and Tobias rolled their eyes.

Tobias stood up and walked over to Tony, "You haven't been playing both sides of the fence though have you?" He asked.

Tony moved from his lounging position to look at Tobias. "What do you mean?"

Tobias shook his head, "Something I heard recently, maybe it was about your old man."

"What?" Tony asked.

"I don't know." Tobias said honestly. "Just some chatter, and we have an agent missing. Nothing concrete. Thinking it's LCN related."

"So, you just decided to come and ask me? Come on Fornell, you know I've had nothing to do with them since I was sent on the Macaluso case in Baltimore."

"Yeah?" Tobias stopped and leaned against the workbench, "About that, you told your guys it was Peoria?"

Tony smiled, "I started the case in Peoria, it ended in Baltimore, what can I say I'm a busy man."

"If you hear from your father you'll let me know?" Tobias asked.

"I haven't heard from him since I came back to America, I very much doubt he's gonna just turn up at work one day and say 'Hi junior, it's me!'" Tony grouched sarcastically.

"Maybe not, but you will tell me if he does show. The name Tonio DiNozzo keeps coming up in relation to the Macaluso family, just little bits here and there, nothing concrete yet, but maybe your father is looking into going into business with them again."

Tony shrugged, "Not my problem, but I do know if Macaluso keeps calling him Tonio there won't be any business, Senior finds that version of his name disrespectful."

"I'll remember that." Tobias smiled.

"And yet you still call me DiNutso." Tony sighed.

Gibbs smiled and turned to Tobias, "If you're staying for dinner, light the fire."

"Light the fire? Jethro you have a red blooded Italian male as a son and me, your oldest friend staying for dinner?" He turned to Tony, "Come on kid, let's show him what real food tastes like."

Tony laughed as he followed Tobias up the stairs all earlier animosity forgotten, as it usually was five minutes after he arrived.

* * *

Tonio stood outside the large wooden door that lead to his grandfather's office. He'd been ordered to be there after dinner, so clean, tidy and looking his best he had shown up promptly at seven pm.

The door opened and his father's second walked out, "He's waiting for you." He said looking at the boy with thinly disguised disgust.

Tonio shook it off as he always did and walked into the room.

"Have you been working against the family." Mike asked without any preamble.

"Sir?... No, not at all, Never?!" Tonio denied.

"Then you want to tell me why word reached me you were in jail for murder?"

Tonio looked confused, "Sir, I've been with Marco all day, it was his wedding to Rosanna yesterday, the only time I haven't been with him was when I went with Orazio to collect the payments for the family. I haven't been arrested at all!"

Mike looked at him, "Are you sure, because they looked into me as well boy, luckily my double is still in prison doing time, if the FBI find out that's not me in there and we lose all this it's you I'm coming too." He growled menacingly.

"Honestly Sir, I haven't killed... Well, apart from the one hit with Marco, he swore it was sanctioned!" Tonio started to panic.

Mike waved him away, "I will be looking into this, but for now you go to the wall, no movement in or out of Marco's without someone with you. No more collecting with Orazio."

Tonio was crushed, Orazio was a good friend. But better no friends than no life.

He looked up at Mike and for a moment the old man softened, seeing his own daughter in the face of the young man in front of him.

"Marco says you have been working hard for the family, that I would be proud of you?" He said.

Tonio nodded, "I hope so Sir." He looked hopeful for a moment.

Mike pursed his lips and placed his hands on his desk, "I hope it continues. Your mother would be proud of you."

Tonio smiled at the rare compliment. "Thank you, sir."

Mike waved him away, "Go to the kitchen wait till I send someone to escort you back, I mean it Tonio, I want you going nowhere alone until I find out who is digging into our affairs and why."

"Yes, sir!" Tonio replied and left the room, not daring to make eye contact with the man who entered in his wake.

Mike looked at his second, "Do you have anything?" He asked as the door closed.

Lucio nodded, "It isn't the FBI like we thought, some small agency NCIS, it might be nothing, they were just checking to see if you were still inside."

"Lucio, my friend the Feds do nothing without another motive, find it. Find out why they wanted to know where I was and why? This happening now cannot be a coincidence."

Lucio sank into his seat the other side of The Don's desk, "I agree, but if we go poking too much, we may tip our hand." He warned.

Mike gave a cold smile, "Then poke carefully." He ordered.


	4. Chapter 4

Leon Vance looked at the paperwork on his desk and sighed.

"Are you sure about this information?" He asked the man sitting the other side of his desk.

"One hundred percent Director." The man said. "It came up in our investigations, they said his name clearly."

"So, this has nothing to do with…"

Trent Kort sighed, "I don't know what you heard. I did not blow up DiNozzo's car on purpose, I know he blames me. Look Director, we found the body of the Agent, I got this information and came to you first because I owe Gibbs a favor and I thought you'd like to know before the FBI come knocking."

"But there is nothing in his file that suggests he even has a Mafia connection with his family."

Kort gave a short laugh, "Director I would suggest that what you don't know on DiNozzo would fill a whole other file… This one to be exact." He took the larger file off his lap and placed it on the desk. "Someone accuses me of trying to kill them, I tend to make sure I know exactly who I am dealing with."

Leon opened the file and looked through it his eyes growing wider with each revelation.

"Play me that tape again?" He asked Kort.

Kort took the small tape player and placed it on the table, pressing the play button he sat back and listened as his voice came over the speaker.

"Tell me that again?" His voice said.

"He told the guy he was meeting was Mafia, he said his name was Marco, he had another guy with him, I didn't know it was a DiNozzo... He didn't seem like he was anyone special till they told me his name, Anthony DiNozzo Junior. They didn't know I was there. I watched, Marco said the guy was a Fed. DiNozzo looked worried then he looked mad and shot him. It was cold."

"You sure about that name?" Kort's voice was low and menacing.

"Absolutely, Anthony Dante DiNozzo Junior."

Vance hit the stop button on the old fashioned tape recorder.

"I want to speak to this informant."

Kort shook his head, "Not gonna happen." He sighed. "Kid disappeared two days after talking to me."

"You investigated?" Vance asked.

Trent nodded, "I asked around, the kid was last seen with DiNozzo."

Vance looked at him and his gut churned. "You're telling me, an Agent in my Agency is Mafia? I know my Agents, I think I would know something like that."

"As I already told you Director Vance. We found the body of the missing Agent, a copy of this tape was delivered to the FBI yesterday as per protocol. I am only here as a matter of courtesy to give you guys a heads up, like I said I owe Gibbs. You may want to tell him before the FBI comes to question DiNozzo." Kort said barely suppressing a smile.

Vance hit his intercom, "Get DiNozzo and Gibbs up here NOW!" He growled.

Tony was bored and he was shooting paper balls at Tim and Ziva having completed his own paperwork and was waiting while his computer ran searches on a few cold cases he was looking into. He glanced over at Gibbs, who was on the phone.

As Gibbs stood up the others looked at him expectantly.

"DiNozzo, with me." He ordered.

Tony looked at him inquiringly.

"Vance wants us." Gibbs told him.

Tony gave a curt nod, "On your six Boss." He sighed and followed.

* * *

Without waiting for permission Gibbs, with Tony behind him, walked straight in.

"Kort." He snapped looking at the CIA Agent.

"Nice to see you again Gibbs." Trent gave a semblance of a smile which dropped off when he saw Tony. "DiNozzo."

Tony grinned, "Should I move my car or have you planted another bomb under it?"

Kort growled at him and Gibbs stepped protectively in front of his son and Agent.

"I do that and your family would kill me too, or would it just be you DiNozzo?" Kort asked.

"What?" Tony shot a worried look at Gibbs but Vance saw it.

"You hiding something DiNozzo?" Vance asked, maybe he was wrong, maybe Tony was hiding something after all.

Tony took a defensive step back. "I…."

"What's this about?" Gibbs stepped between the men and his son, effectively shielding him from any more questions.

"Are you moonlighting DiNozzo?"

"Sir?" Tony looked confused.

Kort moved at a nod from Vance, who rubbed his temples.

"The FBI knows Tony, they are on their way to arrest you, if you give me your badge and gun and go peacefully, we may be able to get you a plea."

"Arrest me for what?" Tony looked shocked.

"The murder of an FBI Agent."

Tony's hand stopped halfway to his gun, "Murder? I didn't… Boss?" He looked at Gibbs and he could see the barely disguised fear in his eyes.

"I've made a call, they will talk to you here first, but you need to hand over your service weapon now."

"I haven't killed anyone!" Tony announced shocked. He turned and gave a sarcastic grin at Kort. "You setting me up Kort?"

"Not this time DiNozzo, one of the guys you killed came to me. We know all about your family."

"Me…?" Tony looked at Gibbs, who held up a hand to stop him in mid sentence.

"Show us what you have Kort." Gibbs ordered.

He moved Tony to the conference table, keeping a steadying hand on his shoulder as he pushed him into the chair.

Vance moved to the other end of the table and handed him the file.

"You gonna deny that your father is Mafia?" Vance asked.

Tony looked down, there were pictures of his father, older than when he had last seen him, "He's the Don now?" he asked absent-mindedly for a moment forgetting where he was, "He looks old."

"So you admit you're Mafia?"

Tony shook his head, "I haven't seen my 'family' since I was a teenager. NCIS is my family."

"Tony…" Vance said softly, "There is some pretty damning evidence against you. I'd hate to think one of my best agents was dirty."

"I'M NOT… I'm not dirty, I have nothing to do with that side of my family, haven't for years." He said slumping back into the chair as Gibbs held him steady.

"Can we have a minute." Gibbs said to Kort who nodded and left them and Vance alone in the room.

"Tony's telling the truth." Gibbs said to Vance.

"I know you don't want to think that your agent is playing both sides of the fence, but you don't know him as well as you think you do Gibbs."

Gibbs took a step forward.

"No…" Tony breathed realizing what Gibbs was going to do.

Gibbs smiled at him and shushed him, Vance's eyes widened for a moment his gut churned thinking they were going to come out as a couple.

"Tony's my son." Gibbs said and Vance let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Your son?"

Gibbs nodded, "He's been mine since he was a teenager. Well, he's been mine since he stumble in my house cold and hungry at eight and a half and stole food from my kitchen."

"Hey, I paid for that!" Tony interjected.

Gibbs smiled at him, "Yeah, yeah, you did."

"You're not kidding are you?"

Tony shook his head, "Gibbs took me in for a while, then I went to live with my father and then I ended up with Gibbs again and he adopted me. Then my father took me to Italy and… then I was back in the US and I haven't seen him since." He knew he should tell Vance about his family in Italy, but he rarely if ever talked about that time and he wasn't going to start now.

"So this is a frame up?" Vance asked.

Gibbs nodded, "Probably, but we need to investigate this ourselves, not let the FBI mess it up."

"You know it doesn't work like that." Vance said, "The FBI are on their way here."

Tony wanted to run, he had hated being locked up last time.

"Dad?" Tony breathed.

At that moment Vance knew he wasn't kidding. It certainly had explained the reaction Gibbs had had when Tony had been infected with the plague. Although he had wondered the fact that Tony was his son had never been one of his guesses.

Gibbs moved to Tony's side and turned to Vance. "This is still confidential Leon, it's need to know and we are telling you because you now do. But I won't split up my team and we know this is malicious as Senior has had no contact with Tony since he was eighteen."

"So that's why you didn't disclose your family connections on your application?"

"I didn't think it mattered. The only work I ever did for the family was some accounts and paperwork on my grandfather's vineyard, nothing at all illegal. It was just two weeks work."

Vance sighed, "Ok. I'm gonna trust you." he smiled slightly, "Your dad would kill me if I didn't."

Gibbs nodded in agreement.

* * *

"So we work on the assumption that you are being set up and we find out why."

Tony dropped his head in his hands, "It's Chip all over again." He sighed.

"Yeah, but Tony, this time there won't be any evidence against you."

"Yeah…" Vance said, turning their attention back to him, "About that…"

Tony looked up in panic, "What?" He asked.

"We had a witness DiNozzo." Kort said, "He talked to me."

"You're CIA, you can't work on US soil."

Kort smiled, "I was seconded to the FBI, it's La Cosa Nostra. Been working with them on the Italian angle. That's how we got the pictures of your father."

Tony gave a short, barked laugh, "He'd hate those, he's been avoiding having his picture taken since I was about nine, since…" He stopped and his face formed a frown, something he needed to remember but he couldn't quite grasp it.

"You ok?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shook his head, but answered in the affirmative, "Yes, I guess so. I don't know why, but I remember it being important that Father never had his picture taken."

"I have a confession, from a kid that he saw you kill Agent Michaels."

"I haven't killed anyone," Tony shot back.

"Well, that remains to be seen." Came the voice of Agent Sacks behind them. Sacks was smiling in that self satisfied way he had with Fornell standing a few steps behind him, "I knew we'd get you eventually DiNozzo."

Tony frowned, "What happened to innocent until proven guilty."

Sacks shrugged, "Got a witness this time. Says he saw you and your uncle kill the Fed."

"I don't have an uncle?" Tony looked confused.

Tobias raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"We need to question you." Fornell said, holding up a hand to forestall Gibbs. "Not here, not this time. Sorry Jethro. Orders from the top he's gotta come to us."

"Fine." Gibbs snapped, "We'll all go. Leon, stand my team down until this is settled and I want Tony to get a good lawyer."

"I'll call legal and get someone to meet you there." Leon replied as they stood up.

"Hey?" Tony shook off Sack's hand.

"Sorry, protocol." Sacks replied with a grin that showed he really didn't care as he handcuffed him.

"Is that really necessary?" Gibbs asked.

Solemnly Fornell nodded, "Sorry Jethro, DiNutso, you gotta be cuffed."

"This sucks." Tony groaned as Sacks put the cuffs on him.

All Gibbs could do as they led Tony away was nod and agree with him.


	5. Chapter 5

Orazio came barging into Tonio's room.

Tonio opened his eyes and put his finger to his lips not wanting to wake whomever it was who was in his bed this morning. He pulled on a pair of boxer shorts and motioned for his friend to follow him outside.

"What's wrong?" Tonio asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I heard you were arrested?" Orazio said.

"Me?" Tonio looked shocked, "I've been here all night with…..?" He waved his hand in the direction of the sleeping woman in his bed.

"Lucy." Orazio sighed, "That one is Lucy, Maria's friend."

"Whatever." Tonio snapped.

Orazio shook his head at his friend, "You are a gigolo you know that?"

He laughed, "I am a healthy red blooded Italian male, who am I to deprive the world of this!" He gestured to himself as his friend rolled his eyes.

Tonio moved back to put some clothes on. He pulled on his shoulder holster and placed his gun inside and walked back out onto the balcony where his friend stood.

"So, where did you hear I had been arrested?" He asked.

"Apparently Lucio was found sleepin' with the fishes." Orazio said in a hushed voice.

Tonio rolled his eyes, he hated cliches and Lucio had been a friend, but if he had talked, then Omerta demanded he was dealt with.

"I'll miss him, he was a good friend." He sighed, "I was only with him a few days ago."

"He talked." Orazio kept his voice low, "Said you killed that Fed."

Tonio looked around annoyed, "Don't care what he said. But who told you I'd been arrested?"

"One of the Cops on the payroll mentioned it to the Boss. Saw your name on a charge sheet."

"Lying bastard." Tonio snapped. "What did The Boss say?"

"Sent me to find you, he wants to see you."

"Damn." Tonio grabbed a clean shirt out of the closet, "Wake her up and get her out of here."

* * *

In less than 20mins Tonio stepped out of his car and walked towards the main house.

One of the guards smirked as he walked up to the door.

Tonio reached a hand towards his gun and glared at the man.

"He's waiting inside for you." The guard said.

Tonio walked inside and knocked on his grandfather's door.

"Nonno?" He called as he walked in.

"Tonio, so you are back?" Mike scowled at the boy.

"I wasn't gone anywhere. Orazio told me that someone is lying about me."

"Lying? I have seen the charge sheet, Anthony Dante DiNozzo Jr, arrested for the murder of a Federal Agent. So, tell me Nipote… Did you roll over on the family and make a deal?"

"I would never talk against the family, we are blood. I have not been arrested." Tonio argued his innocence as two of his grandfather's guards grabbed him by the arms.

Tonio struggled as they pulled up his shirt looking for a wire.

"You have been talking to DiNozzo Senior, your grandfather? Did he lie to you boy, offer to make you a part of his family if you rolled over on us to the Feds?"

Tonio shook his head, "No… No grandfather, I haven't seen him since I was a child. I have made no pact with anyone!"

Mike glared at the boy.

"I loved you, I took you in after your mother died even though you were a DiNozzo." He turned his back on his grandson. "You are dead to me."

He ignored Tonio's screams of protest as the two guards dragged him away.

* * *

Orazio's concern for his friend grew. It had been four hours since he'd been sent to see The Boss and he'd just received a call to tell him to clean out Tonio's apartment.

He packed a few things he knew had sentimental value to his friend just in case, and a bag of his clothes. He refused to believe his best friend was dead. The bag and the small items he stashed quickly in his car before the others arrived to wipe all traces of Anthony DiNozzo Junior from the family.

Marco came in looking solemn.

"Marco, is it true... Is he...?" Orazio didn't even dare ask.

Marco gave a curt nod, "Tonio is dead to the family, no shelter, no comfort, no help. The Macaluso and DiNozzo families are cutting ties."

Orazio gave a sigh of relief, Tonio wasn't dead.

He went about his appointed task and waited until it started to get dark. Tonio had a prearranged meeting point for if anything went south and this was as south as things got. So as soon as he could, he headed there to wait for his friend.

Two hours after dark his waiting was rewarded as he saw a figure stumbling down the alleyway, holding himself carefully.

"Tonio?" Orazio called.

"Raz?" Tonio coughed holding his ribs gingerly.

"What happened?" He asked, making sure there was no one with him.

"I'm... I didn't…" Tonio coughed, "He didn't believe me. I'm on my own Raz, I don't know where to go, I can't go to anyone in the family, I'll put them in danger."

Orazio handed him his bag, "Got those bits of your mother's, your ID, some clothes and money. Here."

Tonio took the bag gratefully.

Orazio handed him an envelope, "It's not much, but... Damn, Tonio, what did he do to you."

Tonio smirked, "He never laid a hand on me, sent two of his goons to do the job. He isn't going to see them again." He promised.

"You need to see a doctor." Orazio told his friend.

Tonio shook his head, "It's ok, I'll be fine."

He coughed and a little bit of blood flew into Orazio's face.

"No you won't. Come on I'll take you to the hospital, but from then on you're on your own." He shrugged apologetically, "I'm sorry."

Tonio smiled, "Friends forever." He vowed, "But you have to put family first I understand."

They pulled up at Bethesda just as Tonio lost consciousness.

Orazio pulled his friend out of the car and left him leaning against the wall by the entrance and with a screech of tires he pulled away.

* * *

Amy Johnson, an ER nurse wrapped herself against the cold as she headed for the entrance for a cigarette break, she knew it was a bad habit and in the middle of winter it was as usual one she was thinking of quitting.

She jumped as the door opened and a body fell in front of her feet.

"SOMEONE, BRING A GURNEY AND GET A DOCTOR!" she yelled behind her as she crouched to see if the person was dead.

Feeling for a pulse she was surprised and pleased to find one, weak and thready but it was there.

"Hold on, kid." she breathed, looking at him. "Who the hell did this to you?"

A doctor came running over as he saw the kid on the floor. "What happened?" He asked.

Amy shook her head, "I don't know Brad, I found him here as I came out for a break."

Brad helped as they got the boy onto a gurney and they wheeled him into the ER.

"It looks like he's been assaulted, does he have any ID?" Brad asked as he performed preliminary checks.

Amy looked through his pockets and pulled out his wallet, "There's money in here so he hasn't been robbed."

Brad nodded, "He's gonna need a CT scan, some x rays and a crossmatch for blood type."

"Ok," Amy ordered the tests and turned her attention back to the boy. "Anthony... Anthony, you're in the hospital."

Tonio moved slightly as he felt someone touching him. "No, Basta non parlavo ... Io non parlo mai!"

"What did he say?" Brad asked.

Amy shrugged, "I don't know, I don't speak Italian."

"What's his name?"

"Anthony DiNozzo Junior,"

"Damn. Really?!" Brad looked at the boy, "Stolen ID?" He stopped and looked closer. "Damn!" he exclaimed, "I need to make a call, get his x rays done." He ordered.

* * *

He walked to the nurses desk and picked up the phone to call a number he knew well, "Damn Tony... looks like life finally caught up with you." He sighed as he waited for his friend to answer the phone.

Finally, as there was no reply he rang Gibbs.

"Hey Gibbs, I'm looking for Tony." Brad said as Gibbs answered.

"He's busy right now." Gibbs said, standing the other side of the interrogation glass as Tony was being interviewed by the FBI.

"It's about his son." Brad said.

"Tony doesn't have a son." Gibbs snapped.

"Look Gibbs, I know it's a shock, but I would swear to God that the young man in my ER right now is Tony's son. He's the spitting image of him from when he was a teenager and his ID says his name is Anthony Dante DiNozzo Junior, so I'm going with the fact he's Tony's son."

"His name's what?!" Gibbs looked shocked and Fornell turned to look at him.

Gibbs smiled, "I think you may have just helped Tony again. Listen… Don't let the boy go anywhere, I'll get Tony out of here and we'll get down to you as soon as we can. Sedate the kid if you have to just don't let him go anywhere."

Gibbs hung up the phone and smiled over at Fornell, "You've got the wrong Tony. I think, there's some kid in the Bethesda ER with the same name as Tony's. Brad thinks it's his son, but we both know Tony doesn't have a son, so maybe it's someone using a false ID. But if we can get Tony out and bring this kid in I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it."

Fornell nodded with a smirk, "Someone stole the wrong credentials this time. But I'm not going to be able to let Tony go until we have this other kid in custody. Protocol Jethro."

"Oh, come on Tobias, there's reasonable doubt now. Come with us, we all go and Tony's covered, right?"

Tobias sighed, "Sure... Sure…" He capitulated, "Let me talk to my boss and see what we can do."

Gibbs looked at Tony who was leaning back nonchalantly, annoying the hell out of Sacks as he did so. "Don't worry son, this will all be over soon." All they had to do was find out who this kid was and why he was pretending to be DiNozzo… And more importantly who was paying him to try and get Tony in trouble.


	6. Chapter 6

Brad looked at the charts and then over at the boy.

"Who are you?" He murmured to himself. He still would have sworn blind that the boy lying asleep in front of him was in some way related to his friend. But he was taking Gibb's advice and keeping an eye on him, just in case.

* * *

Tony looked shocked as Fornell and Gibbs told him what had happened.

"Really?" His voice sounded skeptical. "He says he's me? What is this, a rerun of the twilight zone?"

Gibbs smiled a bit, "We didn't say he was you DiNozzo, just said the kid is using your name and looks like you, according to Brad Pitt who found him outside of Bethesda ER."

Tony ran his hand through his hair in, what to Gibbs was, a familiar gesture of frustration.

"I don't have kids, you know that."

"You know, you have a reputation DiNutso." Fornell smirked.

"And you know that most of it is smoke and mirrors." Tony snapped, "And you know why." He frowned as he said it.

Fornell nodded and handed Tony a piece of paper, "This is your statement, that as far as you know this is a case of mistaken Identity, and that you agree to be released into the full time custody of a federal agent until the matter is resolved."

"What? Who?" Tony snapped at the thought of having to be watched twenty-four hours a day.

"Me." Gibbs said. "You'll stay with me until this is sorted out. Fornell and Vance cleared it."

Tony relaxed a bit, "Good, I can see who's framing me."

Fornell coughed as he shook his head, "Nope, Vance and my boss are adamant on this, this is an FBI Case no investigating." Fornell smirked a bit at Tony for a moment, "Although I am concerned about that cough of yours, did you get it here? It seems nasty, maybe we should head down to Bethesda, get that lung doc of yours to check you out. You know with your medical history and all." Fornell winked.

Tony caught it and coughed for dramatic effect.

"Come on." Gibbs said and they headed out of interrogation, Tony smirking at Sacks' dour face, as they walked past.

* * *

Tonio woke up, the sounds of bustling disturbing him. He lay silent for a moment as he felt someone else in the room with him.

He hurt from the beatings he had received earlier and figured if they didn't know he was awake, they couldn't hurt him again.

For the first time in as long as he could remember he was truly alone and he felt it, his mother was dead, he couldn't go to his uncle and his grandfather had made it clear he was dead to any members of the family. The worst part was he hadn't done anything. He hated the DiNozzo's, they hadn't been there for his mother at all after his father died. He had tried to contact them when he was about twelve and his Grandfather had seen him. He had brought a bus ticket and gone to Long Island, hoping to find out information about his father. Senior had laughed at him and tossed him out, telling him a Macaluso would never be welcome in his house. Reluctantly, he had called his uncle who had driven down to pick him up, promising him that he would never have to feel like that again.

His uncle had lied.

He didn't know why he was alone, but he was, it was about time he stopped wallowing in self pity and stopped allowing himself to be a target. He needed to leave, to reinvent himself and find some work and somewhere to live, after all, at nearly nineteen years old he should be able to look after himself.

He was hungry, he hadn't eaten in over 24 hours and he needed somewhere to stay, he hoped while he was 'out', that no one had taken the money that 'Ratz had given him. Then it hit him, he had been wearing a gun!

He heard voices outside the door and realized it was probably the cops. If he was caught talking to the cops the family would kill him for sure.

He opened his eyes, breathing a small sigh of relief as he found the room empty.

He sat up slowly, ignoring the pounding in his head and the pain in his ribs and looked for his stuff.

Finally, at the bottom of the nightstand beside the bed, he found his bag, he looked through and noticed that his gun had been hidden in the bottom. He smiled, 'Good old 'Ratz always having my back.' he thought.

He pulled his pants on, a T shirt over his head and slipped on his sneakers. Looking at the icy weather outside, he wished for a coat, but beggars couldn't be choosers, so he grabbed the sweater that was in the bottom of his bag. It was his favorite, his mother had kept it, it was the only thing he had that had belonged to his father. Pulling the old, faded, sweatshirt over his head, he winced as a pain shot through his head and he felt dizzy.

Putting the gun, deep into the bag he gathered his things and stood to go. Then he thought better of it as the room span and he collapsed to the floor.

* * *

"Going somewhere kid?" Fornell snapped as he walked into the room.

Tonio flashed his angry green eyes up at the old man, 'Cop.' his mind supplied, and he scowled at the man.

"I ain't done nothin' Cop." He snapped, moving himself into the corner his hand grabbing his bag protectively.

"I never said you did." Fornell smiled and crouched down to Tonio's level, "We heard you'd been hurt and I wanted to see if I could help."

"Why? I fell down." Tonio said, "I'm fine."

Fornell smiled, "I read your notes, you have a concussion, three broken ribs and multiple contusions."

"I fell down, a lot." Tonio added, "Clumsy me, that's all, I need to go."

"Where?" Fornell asked.

Tonio's eyes darted as he desperately tried to think, his usually quick mind dulled by the painkillers. "I...I...I have somewhere, I gotta go, if you ain't charging me, let me go."

Fornell stood up, "I'm not holding you, you're in hospital not in jail."

Tonio eased himself up the wall and stood swaying on his feet, "Then I'm out of here."

"What's your name kid?" Fornell asked.

"Tonio, Tonio DiNozzo Junior."

Fornell gave a short, barked laugh and maneuvered the boy to a sitting position. "You know you are actually in trouble, for impersonating a federal agent, maybe you wanna tell me your real name?"

Tonio glared at him, "That is my name, wouldn't use the damn thing if I had a choice."

The door opened and two other men entered the older one looking at the teenager and his eyes widening in surprise.

"You don't like the name DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

Tonio shook his head, "No. DiNozzo is a crook and I have nothing to do with him."

"Smart move." Tony scoffed, looking at the boy, "So, Senior is your dad?"

Tonio looked at the younger of the three men who had until now been silent.

He looked familiar, like his grandfather, maybe his grandfather had sent him to kill him?

Tonio looked at the man fear filling his eyes and he reached his hand in his bag, pulling out his gun and turning it on the three men.

"Who are you?" He asked warily, "I won't let you kill me!" He exclaimed holding the gun on the men.

"Easy kid we don't wanna kill you." Said Tony holding his own gun on the boy. "We just wanna find out why you're using my name."

"It's not your name, it's my father's name. Senior is my grandfather."

Tony dropped his gun and inch, his hand shaking. "What's your mother's name?" He asked.

"She's dead, it doesn't matter what her name is." Tonio said, tears springing to his eyes, "My parents are dead and I won't let you belittle their memories."

"Her name!" Tony all but shouted, at the last moment, remembering he was in a hospital.

"Maria, my mother's name was Maria Macaluso-DiNozzo, she died a year ago of Cancer."

Tony dropped his gun to his side, the age was right, he looked like him… Dammit he looked like _her_!

"She... She died... When she was 17 in a car explosion."

Tonio gave a mocking laugh, "You cops are stupid, you need to check your facts. My father died in an car explosion when he was 17, my mother was pregnant with me at the time."

Gibbs looked at the boy and then at Tony, in shock, it was clear the boy was telling the truth as he knew it.

"We were lied to." Tony breathed.

* * *

Gibbs put his hand on Tony's shoulder as he felt his son's anger.

"Tony…" Gibbs said.

Tony shook his head and walked over to Tonio who was still holding the gun.

"Give me the gun, son." He held out his hand.

Tonio shook his head, "I... Who are you?"

Tony held his hand out flat and looked his son in the eye, "I'm your father. I didn't die, we were lied to, come with me and we'll see if we can get the answers we both deserve."

Tonio dropped the gun into Tony's hand, "How do I know you are telling me the truth?" He asked as he stepped backwards, his gut told him that this man wasn't lying to him, but did that make his mother a liar? He shook his head in denial, "Mama wouldn't have lied to me." He breathed.

"She didn't son." Tony said softly, "She was lied to as well."

The pain of losing his mother and her final words to him hit hard.

"She went, to her death, hoping to be reunited with you again." He said, "I'm gonna kill them." His eyes flashed with anger and he tried to snatch the gun from Tony.

"No…!" Tony turned and quickly handed the gun to Gibbs and put his hands on his son's shoulders. "We do this right."

Tonio swayed as the pain hit him again and he started to sag, this was too much for him to cope with.

Noticing his son go down Tony's gut twinged with a feeling he'd never felt before, not like this, primal fear.

"Dad!" He gasped as he grabbed his falling son, holding him close before he hit the floor. "You're ok, you're gonna be ok." Tony repeated as his son's eyes fluttered and closed.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony stood back as Brad and his team looked over the boy. "He's gonna need another Cat Scan, I'm not happy about this."

Gibbs placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling his son shake beneath him.

"Sorry Tony, you're going to have to wait outside until he comes back from his test."

Brad said as Gibbs guided him out of the room and over to a set of chairs, sitting him down as he turned to Fornell.

"We aren't going to be leaving here for a while, I know we can't investigate your case, but I'm putting Ziva and Tim on the assault case."

"He's not navy?" Fornell argued, "I'm sure Baltimore PD will be on it."

Tony stood up, "He's a federal agent's dependant, I want to know who did this to him... To us." Tony's eyes flashed dark green with anger. He turned to Gibbs, "Ziva and Tim don't need to know about him yet, get them to dig up as much as they can on Mike Macaluso and see if they have anything on... Maria Macaluso. I'll deal with Father." Tony turned, pulling his phone out of his pocket, but keeping within Gibb's sightline so Fornell couldn't arrest him again.

"He's mad." Fornell said.

Gibbs looked at him incredulously. "Wouldn't you be?"

Fornell looked abashed, "You know what I mean Jethro, he's just had this all dumped on him and you don't think you should keep an eye on him."

Gibbs looked at Tony pacing in the corner of the waiting room, "You find out if his kid murdered your Fed... And Tobias, don't mess it up. We can find out why they were both lied to, but Tony and Tonio need this done right, if they were set up back then, there's no reason not to believe they are being set up now. Keep Sacks on a leash will you?"

Tobias nodded, "I will, just don't forget Tony stays in your sight at all times, do not leave him here to chase your case."

* * *

Gibbs glared at him and turned and walked towards Tony, who had just shoved his phone in his pocket.

"You talk to him?" Gibbs asked.

Tony nodded, "Didn't tell him what was happening, just told him I'd found some interesting information out and he might want to come to DC. He's in Italy again, so he'll be here in a week."

"Ok, so I'll call Ziva and McGee and get them to look up the Macaluso end, I won't tell them anything about the boy…"

"You mean my son." Tony said darkly.

"You don't know that for sure." Gibbs said, wanting to prepare him just in case it was a mistake.

Tony laughed sadly, "Look at him dad, he's the spitting image of me, apart from the bits that remind me of Maria, there is no question about it, we were lied to, both me and Tonio."

"As soon as we get all the information we need, we'll bring both Macaluso and your father in."

Tony laughed, "You know, I was sent to infiltrate the Macaluso family when I was with Baltimore PD. They didn't know about my past with them or my family connections and I needed closure so I went. Just before we went for the arrest, I thought I saw Maria and a child. I was convinced, but I never caught up to them, I just thought it was wishful thinking. He would have been about 6 or 7, if I had known then, we could have been together. I could have been the father I should be."

"You didn't know then, you can't keep beating yourself up over what if's." Gibbs sighed and sat down in a chair. "You're here now Tony. What do you want to do?"

Tony paced a few times, it wasn't a loaded question, but it was a heavy one.

"I'm not letting him down again, I'm his father and I intend to be there. Fornell can't charge him with impersonating a Federal Agent, because he didn't."

"But, your son might be a murderer." Gibbs said it and let it hang in the room, as Tony stopped dead to look at him.

"I don't believe he did, I can't believe it! He's Maria's son as much as mine, she would never have let him join the family business."

"You don't know what happened to him in his life." Gibbs argued.

"If I were a murderer, would you disown me dad? Or would you stand by my side and support me?" Tony smirked as he knew this was exactly what Gibbs had just done.

"It's not the same, I've known you for years, I'm your father."

Tony nodded, "And I am Tonio's and it's about time I acted like it, he needs family dad, and I'm not going to let him down again."

He looked towards Tonio's room as an orderly pushing a bed, walked out of the elevator heading for his room.

He stood without thinking and headed towards his son.

"I'll call McGee and David, get them working on the Macaluso angle. Take your time son." He said as Tony walked on.

"What about the bail conditions?" Tony asked, worried, Sacks would only need one reason to haul him in again.

"You're on the 8th floor, you planning on jumping?" Gibbs asked with a smirk.

Tony shook his head, "Nope."

"Good, I'll be outside the door." Gibbs turned his back to make the call as Tony walked into the room.

* * *

Tonio was still unconscious as the orderly hooked him back up to the equipment and got him settled.

"How is he?" Tony asked.

"Tests went well, his doctor will be down in about half an hour with some information for you. He's lightly sedated so if he wakes try to keep him resting, he's got a catheter in so he won't need to use the bathroom."

Tony nodded, "Thanks."

As the orderly left, he moved and sat beside the bed, staring at the son he hadn't known existed. He found himself holding his hand and brushing a stray hair away from his face.

"He's beautiful Maria." He whispered, "I wish I had known." He closed his eyes as if in prayer wishing she were here to hear him. "I never loved anyone the way I loved you, I never will." He vowed softly to her.

Tonio groaned slightly and shifted.

"It's ok son, I'm here." Tony stroked his forehead and marvelled as Tonio relaxed under his father's touch.

He was surprised, it had been less than three hours and he had gone from the fake, frat boy image he usually portrayed, to a father in what seemed to him as a blink of an eye. He now understood the worry that Gibbs felt when he did something dangerous, his gut worried for his son. Was he a murderer? Had the lack of having his father in his life led him down a path where they would be separated again by jail? Was this his fault?

Tony sat back and ran his hands through his hair. But he looked over at his son again and marvelled, this was his child, a part of him and he needed to protect him. He was amazed at the feelings of love and protection he had for someone he had had no idea existed. He had thought that to be a parent you had to allow feelings like this to grow, he'd never felt like this with his father... Well, not since he'd met Gibbs. From that point his father had seemed different. But the emotion he felt for Tonio was so intense that it hurt. He would be there for his boy, he would find the answers they both sought and hoped that his son wouldn't hate him for not being there for him before now.

* * *

McGee sat at his desk trying to find out anything that would help Gibbs with getting Tony out of trouble with the FBI when his phone rang.

"McGee." He said as he picked it up.

"McGee, stop what you are doing, Tony doesn't need your help with the FBI, but we do need some information."

McGee sprang back from his keyboard as if burned and looked around, he didn't know how Gibbs knew what he was doing but he hoped he wasn't in trouble for it.

"Ok Boss, what do you need." He replied.

"Information on a Mike and Maria Macaluso, everything you can find."

Tim nodded, just in case Gibbs could see him. "On it Boss, How's Tony?" He asked.

"Been released into my custody, we're at Bethesda dealing with something right now."

"Tony's ok isn't he?" Tim asked, his voice worried as Abby and Ziva walked into the bullpen. They stopped and waited as Tim continued his call. "Ok, ok, I'll get on it Boss."

Tim put the phone down. "Gibbs wants us to look up all we can on a Mike and Maria Macaluso. Tony's been released for now in Gibbs' custody, they have another lead to follow. They are at Bethesda right now." Tim told them.

Abby all but ran to Tony's desk and fired up his computer.

After a few moments she stood back and gasped.

"I thought Gibbs said Tony was ok?" She asked.

Tim nodded, "He did, just a cough, apparently."

Abby looked mad, "Why is he lying, there is an Anthony DiNozzo Junior admitted, multiple broken bones and contusions, he's been beaten Tim, the FBI beat him up!" She looked near to tears, "I have to go to him, he hates hospitals."

Tim had to admit he wanted to be there too, and find out why the FBI would have attacked him, surely with Gibbs there, whoever had hurt Tony was probably headed to the morgue right now.

"Ziva, can you handle this search, Abby's in no fit state to drive." Tim said worried for her.

Ziva nodded, "I will handle the basic search and let you know if the computer pongs." she replied.

"Pings." The others said in unison.

Ziva waved her hand, "Whatever, we will find the information to help Tony."

* * *

Gibbs walked back into the room and stood quietly watching his son, and his grandson.

He looked at the two interacting, his heart ached for all his boy had missed out on, the early years of being a parent, his son's first steps, first day at school, first shave. Milestones a son should share with his father.

Tony turned his worried eyes to Gibbs, "Dad, he will be ok won't he?"

Gibbs nodded, "I'm sure he will, Dr Pitt will be back soon and we'll find out then. I called McGee, he and Ziva are going to look into what we talked about."

"Did you tell them about Tonio?" Tony asked.

Gibbs shook his head, "You asked me not to, I'm not about to betray that confidence son."

Tony stood up and paced for a moment not moving further than the end of his son's bed.

"How did you do this when I had the plague?"

"It's hell, but I had faith in you and knew you'd pull through."

Tony sank into the chair with a dull thud. "I don't know this kid, my son, enough to know if he'll pull through, what if he has allergies... Something that because I don't know, it may kill him. I'm a lousy parent and I haven't even been at it a day yet."

Gibbs put his hand on Tony's shoulder, "You are not a lousy parent, son, just a new one."

"Yeah, but I don't get to start from scratch and I swear, If senior knew about this or had anything to do with it I'll kill him."

Tony stopped as Tonio moaned again the pain filtering through in his sleep.

Without thinking Tony hit the call button for the nurse and comforted his son.

"Can I help?" The nurse asked moments later as she entered the room.

"He's in pain, can you give him something?" Tony asked.

The nurse nodded, left and returned a few minutes later with some morphine, "This will help." she gave it to him and Tony stroked his forehead talking quietly to him until Tonio fell asleep again.

The nurse smiled, "You're a good father, you two must be close." she remarked as she checked his vitals and turned to leave the room.

Tony smiled, but said nothing.

"See Tony, you're a good father, when your son wakes up he'll learn that too."

Tony relaxed as they sat and waited for Brad to come and deliver the news.


	8. Chapter 8

Abby was almost beside herself as she and Tim pulled up to the hospital and found a parking space.

"What if he's seriously injured?" She asked agitatedly.

Tim shrugged, "I don't know," He replied honestly. "I just would rather be looking for what Gibbs asked me to look for rather than being here with you." He stopped as he realized what he had just said. "I don't mean it like that Abby, but what if someone has hurt Tony, I need him to be ok!"

Tim locked up the car and walked towards the hospital trying to keep up with Abby, "We are only staying for as long as it takes to calm you down as see that Tony is alright."

Abby nodded, clutching her bag tighter as if to reassure herself as she walked in through the automatic doors.

Tim approached the reception desk and showed the man standing behind the desk his badge. "I'm looking for Anthony DiNozzo Jr. Apparently he was admitted yesterday?"

The man typed rapidly on his keyboard and looked at his computer screen.

"He's in ICU, 8th floor, Dr Pitt is his attending." The man said helpfully.

"ICU!" Abby whispered fearfully and clutched at McGee's arm.

"Thank you." Tim replied and turned in the direction the man indicated.

Tony was tired, he hadn't slept, preferring instead to sit and stare in wonder at the young man in the bed next to him. This was his son. His and Maria's, the child he thought had died over 18 years ago. He wondered about all the things in this boy's life he had missed and he wondered what horrors the child had gone through since his mother had died. He had no doubt that Maria had kept her son from being an active part of the Macaluso family business, but since her death, with no one to protect him from either grandfather what had the boy been through. Could he, as the FBI had suggested, actually, be a cold blooded killer? His son? Would he finally find the child he had grieved for, only to lose him to the whim of a judge and jury?

Tony's face was lined with the worry for the fate of his son, these thoughts coupled with the thought that he might not even wake up. Brad Pitt had not come back with the results of the tests they had done on Tonio earlier and he was worried. Gibbs had left an hour ago after Tony had promised him he wasn't going anywhere and had gone to shower and change promising to bring Tony a go bag and food when he returned. For a few moments Tony lay his head next to his son's arm and closed his eyes.

After Tim had talked to the nurse about Tony's condition he walked over to Abby.

"He's down the corridor. I talked to the nurse they are concerned about his condition, however his test results haven't come back yet. Apparently his father is in with him."

Abby eyes went wide in surprise. "Tony's father? I thought he didn't have any contact with him?"

"MCGEE!" Gibbs' surprise was evident as he stepped out of the elevator and saw Abby and McGee standing just outside the door to Tonio's room.

"Boss? I… Abby…" McGee stuttered taken by surprise.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs! Tony's hurt, why didn't you tell us!" She sobbed wrapping him in a hug.

Gibbs looked worried, "Tony's fine. Why are you here?" He asked, maneuvering himself so as not to drop the items he was holding.

Abby's tear stained eyes looked up at him, "He's not fine, he's here in the ICU. What did the FBI do to him!" Her voice rose higher as she talked.

"What's going on?" Tony opened the door and tiredly walked out, "There are sick…. Oomph…" He gasped as Abby flew to him and crushed him in a hug.

"You're ok!" She cried happily.

"Abby?" Tony looked over at Gibbs, who shrugged as he had no idea while she was here either.

"McGee, you were ordered to look into the case not come here." Gibbs said, lowering his voice as the nurse on duty scowled at them.

Gibbs put the go bag on the chair and handed Tony the coffee.

Tony smiled gratefully and took it.

"I'm sorry Boss, but Abby found out you were at Bethesda and she saw Tony had been admitted."

"Abs?" Gibbs growled, knowing that the only way that she could have found that out was by hacking the hospital systems.

"I was worried." Abby said, "I don't understand? They said you were in the ICU and that your father was with you."

Tony looked concerned and he walked over to the nurses desk.

"Anthony DiNozzo Senior, older man, late 60's… He hasn't been here has he?" Tony asked.

The nurse shook her head, "No sir, just you and that gentleman with you, oh and the FBI man."

"Good. No one gets up here without ID." Tony ordered.

"Is my patient in danger?" The nurse asked all business.

Tony shook his head, "I don't think so, I will see about getting some extra security up here, though." He promised as the nurse nodded gratefully.

Tony walked toward Gibbs, Abby and McGee.

"He's not been here, I'm gonna need some more security. I don't know what happened to him, but if it's Mafia related I don't want them to try to kill him, here or anywhere. I won't lose him Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded in understanding, "I'll take Abby back, McGee you're on protection detail, no one gets in without a badge." he ordered.

"Protecting who?" Tim asked confused.

Tony opened the door slightly showing Tim and Abby the young man asleep inside. "My son." he admitted.

Tim scrunched his face in concentration, "He's too old to be your son?"

Tony shook his head, "I was a teenager when he was born." He said quietly as he closed the door up.

Abby punched him on the shoulder. "You never told us you had a son!" she accused him.

Tony looked sad, "Until yesterday I didn't know about him, I thought he had died with his mother when I was a teenager."

"She died?" Abby looked horrified.

"It was a lie." Tony replied solemnly. "We were played, it doesn't matter now. The fact is my son has been beaten and is lying in that hospital bed and no one is going to hurt him again." Tony's face and voice became so hard that Abby looked at him in disbelief, this was not her Tony, her easy-going, happy go lucky friend.

Tony walked back into the room for a second and came back out with Tonio's bag. "This is what he was wearing when he was found outside the hospital. Abby, can you check it to see if it gives us any clues as to who did this to him?" He asked.

Abby took the bag. "Of course I will." She replied.

"And Abby?" Tony said as he gently put his hand on her arm. "Don't tell anyone about Tonio yet."

"Tonio?" She asked.

Tony smiled, "Anthony DiNozzo Jr… er, I suppose he'd be the third now. The less people who know about him the better."

Abby nodded, "I'll go back with Gibbs and get started on it. Ziva will…."

"No…" Tony snapped, "Don't tell her. Not yet… I'll tell her myself." Tony lied. She was still too new and he had already been the butt of her tricks and he didn't want to tell her about his son just yet. It had, after all, only been a few weeks since she'd had a team dinner and not invited him, but revelled in telling him about it the next day. It had hurt, but more than that it had unsettled him. Like she was trying to drive a wedge between him and the team and more importantly, he and Gibbs, which showed that the dossier he knew she had written up on them all did not include his relationship to Gibbs or his own past with the Macaluso family apart from the undercover stint he had had. Right now he wanted to keep it that way, keep her in the dark until he knew if she could be trusted or not.

Abby nodded, "Do you need anything else?" she asked.

Tony shook his head, "Just your promise to keep this under wraps for now. We think someone was out to get me and they found him. I don't want anyone else hurt until we find out what is going on."

"I'll be back soon, call me if Pitt comes back with the results." Gibbs said to Tony as he ushered Abby away from the room.

* * *

McGee followed Tony into the room and stood by the door as Tony sank into the chair. "I need to use the bathroom Probie, will you stay with him?"

Tim smiled, "Gibbs got you a go bag, take it and shower, you look like crap."

Tony returned the smile with a short laugh, "I do, you get me if he wakes up ok?"

Tim nodded as Tony walked through to the bathroom.

Once alone Tim took a few moments to study the young man in the bed. He looked a lot younger than the eighteen years his chart said he was. He took a moment to look over the list of the boy's injuries and winced. Whoever had hurt him had meant to kill him, that much was obvious, but he seemed to have inherited his father's luck and had managed to survive.

He could see traces of Tony in the boy and hoped that he wasn't as much a practical joker as his father. He wondered about his mother. He had heard Tony say he had been a teenager when the child had been conceived and wondered if the break up with the child's mother had been the reason that Tony had become such a player in his older life. Had they stayed together would the Tony he knew have been a different man?

There was a slight groan as the boy moved in the bed. For a moment Tim thought about going to knock on the door and get Tony, but after flinching a few times and a few frowns running over his face he settled back to sleep.

A few moments later, Tony, his hair still wet from the shower and now wearing jeans and an OSU T-shirt he sank down onto the chair and finished the coffee he had been given.

"He ok?" Tony asked concerned.

"He moved a little, I thought about getting you, but he seemed to settle back down. No one's been in."

Tony gave a half smile and sipped at his coffee, "Thanks Tim." he sighed.

For a second McGee wasn't sure he had heard it, but then he grinned and nodding once turned to the door. "I'll be outside if you need me." He said and moved to go on guard duty.

Tony looked at the closed door, both Tim and Abby had taken the news a lot better than he had expected. He knew he would have to let Ducky and Jimmy know in time. But right now all he was concerned with was keeping his son safe.

* * *

Mike Macaluso paced in his office, looking angrily at the body of the man now lying dead on his floor.

"Clear that up." he ordered as a few of his men came running in at the sound of the gunshots.

"Boss?" Marco asked as he watched the body of Orazio being hauled out of the room.

"I ask one simple thing." Mike sighed, "Take care of Tonio… Then I find he's not only still alive but in hospital under the watchful eyes of federal agents. He knows too much."


	9. Chapter 9

Tim looked up as Brad came walking down the corridor. Even though he knew who he was, he had to stop him.

"I'm sorry Dr. Pitt, I need to check your I.D." Tim said.

Brad nodded, "I heard." He handed over his hospital I.D. for Tim to check.

"It's not bad news is it?" Tim asked, worried for his friend as Brad took his I.D. back."

Brad smiled and opened the door, not replying to Tim's question.

Tony looked up as the door opened. "Brad?"

Giving Tony a comforting smile, Brad gestured for his friend to sit back down. "Hey Tony." He pulled up a chair and sat facing him.

Tony's face fell, "it's bad news, isn't it?" He asked.

Brad shook his head. "Actually, this kid has inherited your luck. His brain is bruised, as was most of him when he arrived here, but there is no permanent damage that we can detect. I'm willing to dial back on the sedatives and allow him to wake up naturally."

Tony grinned, "He's gonna be ok?" He blinked a few times to hold back unexpected tears, "Thank you." He held his hand out and Brad took it, but instead of shaking his hand he pulled him into a hug.

Brad patted him on the back, "He's going to be ok Tony. Now you get some rest and something to eat, I don't want to see you in here as a patient." He stood up and walked to the door. Opening it, he turned to Tim, "Agent McGee, you make sure my star patient here gets some rest."

Tim nodded and checking the hallway went into the room as Brad left.

"How is he Tony?" He asked.

"He's going to be ok. Just bruising, no major damage. Has Gibbs called with any news on who did this to him?" Tony asked.

Tim shook his head, "I haven't heard anything." He replied.

Tony gripped Tonio's hand as if willing his son to wake up. "I wanna know who did this. They're gonna pay." He vowed.

Tim shuddered at the tone Tony was using, it was cold, callous and cruel and not at all like his friend.

"But if it's Mafia Tony…?"

"Who said it was Mafia!" Tony snapped.

Tim stepped back as if slapped. "You said to Gibbs that it could have been Mafia related. Why? You think your son was involved with the Mafia?"

Tony shook his head, "I… I don't know, Maria would've never… But…" he stopped as he buried his head in his hands. "There's a lot you don't know Tim. A lot I can't tell you."

Tim took the seat that Brad Pitt had recently vacated. "Tony the more you tell me, the greater chance we have of catching whoever did this to your son." He said in the same tone of voice he used when he was interviewing a witness.

"I know that Tim." Tony sighed. "But there's more involved than you know. I need to make some calls first."

Tim gave a half smile and nodded, "I'll wait outside. Call me when and if you are ready to talk."

* * *

Two hours later Tim looked up to see Gibbs, Fornell and Agent Balboa walking down the corridor.

"Boss?" Tim looked surprised and worried as he had arrived with Fornell.

Gibbs nodded to Balboa who took Tim's place by the door. "Wait there Tim." Gibbs said as he knocked and walked into the hospital room.

"How is he?" Gibbs asked.

"Still sleeping, they say it will be a few more hours before he shows signs of waking up." Tony replied.

Gibbs smiled slightly, "Ok then. Got Balboa on guard duty, you ready to face the music?"

Tony smirked, "Are you?"

Gibbs glared for a second, then he smiled, "It's as good a time as any. Are you sure you only want Tim to know?"

Tony nodded, "He made a good point earlier without him knowing all the facts he's not going to be able to find out who did this to my boy."

Gibbs nodded, "You're right. I'm glad you're letting him in son." He held out his hand to help Tony up and waited as Tony leaned over and stroked his son's forehead.

"I'll be back soon kid." Tony vowed and then he turned and left with Gibbs.

* * *

 ** _"He's what?!"_** Tim spluttered in shock, trying to keep his voice down in the hospital cafeteria.

Tony sighed, "Gibbs is my adoptive father." He said again, only this time a lot slower than how he had blurted it out a few moments before.

"But…" Tim looked at Gibbs thinking it was a joke, but neither Gibbs nor Fornell were laughing. "How?" He asked.

Tony sat back and taking a sip of the coffee Gibbs had given him, he told Tim about his childhood.

Tim listened, horrified as he realized that the rich frat boy persona that Tony had portrayed was a sham.

"Why did you lie to us?" Tim asked. "You told us you came from a rich family."

"I do." Tony snapped, "The DiNozzo family is rich. They are also Mafia, I was better off when Senior threw me away. I never understood why he changed his mind and took me back." Tony sighed for a moment, "I missed my dad and I missed my home, but meeting Maria Macaluso was the best thing that ever happened to me and when I thought she and my son died my world was destroyed. I came back to America and cut all ties with my birth family. From then on Gibbs was my father and that was it." Tony stated resolutely.

"So you had no idea that Maria and your son were still alive?" Tim asked, his face full of concern.

Tony shook his head, "None at all, I was placed undercover in the Macaluso family when I was a cop. I used the connections I had to get inside. Just before the bust I thought I saw her, but with the chaos that came with the raid I lost sight of her and just assumed it was wishful thinking."

Tim looked sad for his friend.

Gibbs looked over at his son, "McGee, It's important that this doesn't get out. Do you understand? Tony is on my team because, like you he earned a place, not because he's my son. Also, his association with the Mafia… That's for your ears only. Vance knows, but it wouldn't do well for it to go around the building."

Tim nodded, "I'll keep it to myself." He promised, "What about Ziva?"

Tony shook his head, "No… She's too new to the team. She did dossiers on all of us, including Kate for Ari, and she never found this out. If she knew about my son and Maria she never said anything. I want to keep this between us. I need to know who did this to my son. If it's The DiNozzo's or the Macaluso's I need them to pay."

Tobias put a file on the table, "This is all we know about DiNozzo Senior. Tony's called him and asked him to come to the US he's currently in Italy right now. Do your electronic gizmo thingy and see if he's been spending any money over here where he shouldn't be. Same with Macaluso." He ordered.

Tim looked at Gibbs, who nodded, "Vance has Okayed it. You're working solo on this one Tim. But if you need either me or Tony we'll be here at the hospital. Tobias will be your liaison with the FBI's LCN task force." Gibbs told him.

Tim took the file and read through with a grim face.

"I'll do this Tony. You go be with your son." Tim said, remembering how as a teenager, he himself had been in hospital and had wanted his father there. Tony's son had obviously been through hell and if the roles had been reversed, he would have hoped that Tony would do the same for him.

* * *

Walking back into the hospital room feeling better knowing that Tim was now in the loop and on the case, Tony finally sat down watching as his son slept. Gibbs placed a hand on his shoulder.

"He's going to be ok son." He reassured him.

"I know, but, there's still the chance that once we find out who did this to him, we may find out he's a killer." Tony's heart hurt at the thought of losing his son so soon after finding him.

"We will deal with it as we get to it." Gibbs said stoically.

Tony's worried reply was cut off as Tonio moved his head.

"Ratz?" He rasped, still asleep. "Ratz… Don't… No…!"

Tony looked up at Gibbs, who seeing the unspoken request in his sons' eyes walked outside and called Tim giving him the name to track down, while Tony stayed and comforted his son.

"Mama…" Tonio called out, "Mama, I'm sorry… No… Mama…!" his eyes shot open as in his mind he saw his mother in a car exploding.

Tony's hand shot out and grasped his son's shoulder.

"Tonio, it's ok. You're ok, you're in hospital."

For a moment Tonio looked confused. "You're my father?" he asked.

Tony nodded with a small smile sadly playing at the corners of his mouth. "I am son. What do you remember? Do you know who did this to you?"

Tonio nodded, "I do… but, I can't tell you. I won't betray my family."

Tony smiled slightly in understanding, but the pain in his eyes was evident. "Omerta, I understand. But you owe them nothing son. They played you. They played me. They lied to your mother. Family does not do that."

Tonio listened to his father's words, understanding that he was speaking the truth. However the beating he had received at the hands of his grandfather's enforcers had him second guessing himself and worrying about talking.

Tony tried another tactic. "Who's Ratz?" He asked.

Surprisingly a smile crossed Tonio's face. "Orazio is, was, my best friend. He was like a brother to me. He helped me even though I was dead to the family. He got me mama's things and my stuff and took me to the hospital."

"Why didn't he stay with you?" Tony asked, surely if he was that much of a friend he would have stayed.

"I was dead to the family. If anyone knows he helped me they would kill him." Tonio replied. "I hope he's ok."

"My friend is looking into it, I'm sure he'll let us know." Tony looked at his son, seeing so much of Maria in him. Taking a deep breath, he asked the question he didn't want to ask.

"There was a federal agent. He was murdered." Tony opened the file Fornell had given him and showed his son the picture. "Do you know anything about this? Did you kill him?"

Tonio looked sadly at the picture.

"Yes." He replied.


	10. Chapter 10

"And no…" Tonio finished.

Tony looked at his son confused.

"Yes, I know that the man was murdered, I was there. But no, I didn't kill him." He clarified.

For a moment Tonio was worried, he knew this man was a federal agent and also that he had said he was his father, he wondered which part of the man would be there for him. Would it be the federal agent who would arrest him for being part of a mafia family, or the father he had heard so much about from his mother as he had grown up? He hoped it would be the latter, but over the years he had learned that family tended to betray you, so he waited.

"Who did?" Tony asked. "I need names son."

His son looked sad and shook his head, looked like it was going to be the federal agent, not the father.

"Tonio." Tony sat by his son's side and took his hand, "The federal agent was doing his job, he was a man with a family, he had a six month old daughter; she's going to grow up like you did, without a father due to the actions of someone else. Please, help us so she knows the man who killed her father is paying for it. Don't let her be fearful every night that the man who hurt her daddy will come back."

Tonio looked down, ashamed, "Uncle Marco." He whispered. "Grandfather discovered the FBI agent had infiltrated the family, he lost it. Yelling about not being screwed over by the feds again, I walked into his office and he got mad at me saying it was all my fault and that I should take him out, prove my loyalty to my mother and the family. I went with Marco to meet with the man… But i couldn't do it, I couldn't shoot him in cold blood. But… Father, I have killed. The two men my grandfather sent to work me over before… The guys who put me in here… I fought back, they are dead." He admitted.

"Where are they?" Tony asked as his gut sank.

Tonio flinched in pain as he shrugged, "I left them in an alleyway, I'm not sure where." He admitted sadly, "I didn't want to, but they were killing me."

"That's self defense," Tony told his son, "Your injuries prove you were fighting for your life."

Tonio lay back for a moment and closed his eyes. "I never wanted to kill them, I never wanted to work for grandfather. I wanted to go to school, I wanted to be an architect. I like buildings, design, the lines and style. I wanted to design things that would be useful and last forever."

Tony smiled sadly as he looked at his son, "Maybe you still can, after all this is over you could go back to school."

Tonio shook his head, "No… Not anymore, that part of my life is over. I have nothing now." Tonio looked away, he was done and he was alone.

Tony looked up as the door knocked quietly. "I'll be just outside."

* * *

Tony closed the door and looked at the two men standing there.

"What have you got McGee?" He asked.

McGee shifted uncomfortably as he stood in front of his teammate and friend. "We had the body transferred to Ducky, he's done his autopsy, It looked like he was shot at close range by someone he trusted. Abby ran a DNA on some skin cells found under the man's finger nails, there were two sets of DNA, one matched up to a Marco Valenti and one to Tonio." He stepped back expecting Tony to argue and was surprised at the nod he received.

"I expected as much, Tonio just told me that he was with Marco when the FBI Agent was killed. However, he didn't pull the trigger, Marco did. Believe me Marco is more than capable of doing it as well." Tony sighed. "Let Gibbs know and have Fornell pick up Valenti for questioning."

"You know him." It wasn't a question that McGee posed to his friend.

Tony nodded, "I thought I did, at one point I called him friend, he was Tonio's mother's cousin. He's nephew to Mike Macaluso."

Tim gestured to a chair and gratefully Tony took it, "How's he holding up?" Tim asked, nodding towards the room that Tony had walked out of.

"He confessed to killing two guys who beat him up. He's not sure where it happened, if you could keep an ear out for any bodies found, I haven't talked to Gibbs yet."

McGee looked confused for a moment, "Yeah, where is he? I heard you were in his custody and weren't supposed to leave his sight."

Tony laughed, "You think I could do anything wrong without the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs knowing about it?" he asked.

Tim smiled back, "I suppose not. Must have been tough trying to get away with anything as a kid." He commiserated.

"Yeah, but it was better than the alternative." Tony admitted, his stomach rumbled, "Sorry."

"You allowed to go to the cafeteria?" Tim asked.

Tony nodded, "I can go for a while, but not too long. Tonio is due to have more x rays later, I want to be there."

Tim looked over at the guard outside Tonio's room, "He'll be fine while you grab a coffee and a sandwich and you'll be with me, so technically with a federal agent and we aren't leaving the building. Come on Tony, you'll not be any good to your son if you don't take a break."

Tony nodded as he knew Tim was right.

* * *

The man walked onto the floor adjusting his lab coat as he walked towards his target.

"Can I help you, sir?" A man, a federal agent by the man's guess, stepped out into his path holding up a hand to stop him.

"Dr. Nino La Morte." He looked at the clipboard in his hand, "I am here to take Antonio DiNozzo to his x ray tests, we have scheduled an MRI as well."

"I have a Dr. Michaels scheduled to work with him." The agent said.

Nino smiled, "Dr. Michaels is indisposed, he had an emergency."

The agent looked at the doctor who looked legitimate, his credentials were correct and the agent prided himself on being able to tell if someone was lying and this man didn't seem to be, which in point of fact he wasn't. Dr. Michaels had had an emergency when he had walked towards the hospital and met with the silencer on Nino's gun.

"Ok," The agent replied, he was pleased that fresh out of FLETC he had been offered the chance to guard someone and he knew that he could tell a bad guy just by looking at them. He stood aside after officiously checking the doctor's identification, "Go ahead, I'll tell his family when they get back."

* * *

Nino nodded and opened the door, "Mr. DiNozzo, I'm here to take you to your X ray."

Tonio sighed as he looked over, noting the smiling agent who let the doctor in. "Ok Doc, let's get this over with." As he was transferred to a wheelchair and pushed out of the room he looked down the hall for his father.

There was no sign of him, maybe he had had enough and didn't want to be a father after all. A large lump formed in Tonio's chest. He had only known his father for a few days and had hoped he would be everything his mother had told him. However, it seemed that she had been wrong. He blinked back a tear that wanted to fall, he knew why his father had left, his father had chosen the law over his son. He had killed two people and he would be punished for it.

He closed his eyes for a moment as the elevator doors shut, preparing himself for the X rays he was about to have. He glanced at the lights on the panel and noted that the light for the floor that held the X ray equipment was not lit.

"You've pressed the wrong floor." Tonio said as he looked up.

"You broke the code of silence, you need to be punished."

"I was only an associate, I never ratted on the Don." Tonio replied his gut dropping. "Grandfather didn't need to send you to whack me."

"Well, mock execution didn't work, you still talked to the feds kid." Nino told him, "The Don sent me to do a message job on you, make sure this never happens again. But first he insisted that you pay for your betrayal, then in the end you get it through the mouth and the others will know what happens when you break Omerta."

"I haven't done anything. I was never a rat." Tonio argued.

"Not my problem, I don't care." Nino replied, "It's my job to do as I'm ordered, your job to sit quietly until I am finished with you."

Tonio held back a stunned laugh, "If you think I'm gonna sit quietly…"

"I have someone watching your father and that fed he calls a father, both of them will be killed if you cross me, also there is a gun in my waistband, you cause me trouble and I will shoot everyone I see between this elevator and where I'm taking you."

"And where's that?" Tonio asked, hoping to figure out how to get away.

"Your death." Nino La Morte replied.


	11. Chapter 11

Tony sighed as he stared at his coffee.

It felt wrong sitting here having time to himself while his son was ill in a hospital bed.

"How you doing?" Tim asked looking over at his friend. "I mean, finding out you are a father and falling into all this is pretty big."

"It is." Tony agreed, "But it's also great, you know… It's like, I got a second chance. I wish I had known that Maria was alive, things would have been different. _I_ would have been different." He looked down at his cup as he dampened down another wave of anger at what had been done to him and his son.

"So you were married?" Tim asked.

"Kinda glad that no one ever measured up to Maria." Tony replied sidestepping the question, " Otherwise I would have unknowingly been a bigamist. But she was the one, ya know. No one could ever hold a candle to her." He smiled as he remembered the way her hair would shine in the sunlight and her smile as she looked up at him.

"I can see you loved her very much." Tim said looking at the face of his friend.

"I was broken when I came back to America believing she was dead. I had had my heart ripped from my body and would never love anyone again the way I loved her."

Tim looked over with a wistful look on his face, "I hope that one day I can find a love like that." He sighed.

Tony drained the last of his cup, "If you do Tim, you keep her and never let her go." He advised seriously, then stood up and Tim joined him.

"So what's next with Tonio?" Tim asked as they left the canteen to head back to the room.

"He has a checkup with Dr. Matthews and then some more tests, I think an X-ray. Hopefully he'll be awake and ready by the time we get back." Tony smiled.

Both Agents nodded to the Agent on duty as they showed their badges to enter, "He's not in there sirs, a Dr La Morte came and took him. Dr. Matthews was indisposed."

Tony cocked his head to one side, "Are you trying to be funny Agent Deacon?" He growled menacingly, "Dr. Death took my son to X-ray?"

"No a Dr. Nino La Morte, I checked his ID." Agent Deacon argued.

Tony threw his hands up in frustration and turned to Tim, "You keep him away from me before I do something that I will regret… And get me security! I need to find my son."

He quickly dialed Gibbs' number and filled him in on the situation. "We will have to tell Ziva now, I need all hands to help my find my son." Then turning to Agent Deacon, He glared at him and summoned every part of his father that he could and verbally berated the newly fledged agent until the man was shaking.

* * *

At his desk in the bullpen, Gibbs sat down heavily on his chair. "Very well son, I'll tell her and I'll try and get as many bodies as possible there to help with the search." He closed his phone and turned to Ziva. "I'll be back in a moment, gear up but don't leave the bullpen." he ordered and took the stairs two at a time up to the Director's office.

He didn't wait to knock, knowing that Leon was alone, he walked straight in.

"Gibbs?" Leon asked surprised his agent was here.

"I left Tim with Tony." He explained, "Tonio has been kidnapped from the hospital."

"The boy?" Leon asked.

"Tony's son." He confirmed. "I was going to tell you later, but Tim and Tony went to eat and then when they got back the Agent you sent to guard Tonio let a Mafia hood walk off with him."

Leon looked affronted, "Agent Deacon is highly recommended, he had excellent scores at FLETC."

"I don't care, he let this guy in and he has taken my grandson. I need bodies at the hospital to help with the search." Gibbs demanded.

Leon nodded, "Very well, all agents not on active cases will be sent to help with the search." He promised, Gibbs gave a curt nod and turned to the door. "Where are you going?"

"To help them, and to carry on keeping an eye on my son. If they can take Tonio how long before they try to target Tony?" Gibbs asked the worry evident in his voice.

As Gibbs passed the bullpen he nodded to Ziva who picked up her backpack and followed him to the elevator.

The door closed and he turned to her, "You are going to find out some things about Tony, I need you to keep an open mind and be there for your partner, can you do that?" He asked.

Ziva looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Of course Gibbs, he is my partner. Is he in trouble?" she asked as a knot of worry started to form.

The doors of the elevator opened and the crossed the NCIS building lobby in relative silence as they headed to Gibbs' car.

"He's not dead is he?" Ziva asked as she shut the car door.

Gibbs shook his head, "Not dead, no." He replied and focused on driving.

* * *

Ziva sat in relative silence as Gibbs concentrated on his driving, she shot him a sidelong glance trying to figure out what it was that was being kept from her.

She had done extensive dossiers on the team for Ari before she had been assigned to NCIS by Mossad. She figured that there couldn't be anything that she had missed… unless… That had to be it.

She smirked slightly as she figured it out. Tony was gay, that had to be it. It would have been the only thing he could have kept from her records. She wondered what Gibbs had said when he had found out. Then a bad thought bothered her, what if because he was gay he had been hurt.

Gibbs looked grim, maybe he was angry that Tony had been outed. Had he known?

She sighed and settled more comfortably in her seat.

"I do not mind. It will not change how I work with Tony." She said.

"It shouldn't." Gibbs barked back. "But he's going to need all our support."

Ziva nodded, "I will give it to him. Was Tony hurt bad?" she asked.

Gibbs shook his head, "Tony wasn't hurt at all, but Tonio was and he is currently missing. Vance is sending more teams to help in the search. We are pretty sure he hasn't left the grounds, but with the mafia being involved he could be anywhere."

Ziva nodded, Tonio must be the boyfriend, she surmised. In which case it would get a bit confusing, but if Tony loved this man then she would, as his partner stand by him.

* * *

Tony was pacing the security office as Tim looked through all the footage.

Noticing Gibbs' car peeling into a parking space Tony turned to the door; "Keep at it, Gibbs and Ziva are here." He walked out and headed to the main entrance.

Gibbs ignored Ziva as he spotted Tony and walking up to him pulled him into a hug. "What have you got?" He asked.

"Deacon is licking his wounds, and Tim is checking security footage to see where Tonio was taken."

"You hit him?" Gibbs asked.

Tony grinned, "Nope, went all _Gibbs_ on his ass."

Gibbs grinned, "Good." They walked past the main entrance where other agents were arriving and being sent to Tim in security.

"McGee?" Gibbs said as he pushed through the rapidly forming crowd.

* * *

"OK!" Tim stood up and held up his hands for silence.

"We have a missing 18 year old. Answers to Tonio, he's got mousy brown hair with blond highlights. Green eyes, he's heavily bruised and was last seen in the company of a man pretending to be a doctor. He passed out flyers with Tonio's face on one side and the grainy face of Nino La Morte on the other. "The man who took him is to be considered armed and dangerous. We need to get the boy back and make sure that no one in the hospital is harmed. Look everywhere, stairwells, offices, closets… Go!" He ordered and the pack of agents dispersed.

Ziva looked at the photo of the boy, he looked familiar. He seemed a bit young for Tony, but she had already decided that she wouldn't judge but she would support her friend.

"He looks nice." she said with a slight smile.

"Looks like his mother." Tony agreed.

"I am sure we will find him soon," she turned to Gibbs, "What do you need me to do?" She asked.

"Team up with Agent Deacon, search the back of the hospital, you know, dumpsters…" Tony told her with a grin, "But this time, _He's_ the probie." He gave her a small wink and she nodded in understanding.

As Ziva left, Tony turned his attention back to Tim, "What have you got?" he asked.

Tim smiled grimly, "We've got the fake doctor wheeling Tonio into the elevator, but he must have pressed every button because it stopped on a number of floors, four of which do not have direct camera sights, I have sent teams to all but one floor, the basement. You wanna take it?" he asked.

Tony turned to Gibbs remembering that he was technically still under arrest. However Gibbs shook his head, "Sorry Tony, you can't you are too close to this and are still technically in custody, Vance is sending more teams so we'll have one of them go. You can stay here and coordinate." He offered.

Tony slammed his hand down on the desk, hard. "Dammit Dad!" He cussed, "That's my boy out there!"

Gibbs nodded, he understood more than Tony knew. "Trust the team's Tony, they will find him."

Gibbs phone went and he snapped it open. "Gibbs." He barked. "Ok. Call Ducky have him do the autopsy on the body."

"Body?" Tony asked going white and slumping back to sit on the desk.

Gibbs nodded, "One of the teams found the body of Dr. Matthews he's been murdered." He explained.


End file.
